第九回 · 忍恥到江州 Enduring Shame at Jiangzhou — Journey to the West

原文 Original text 繁體 Traditional Reader's edition

忍恥到江州 Enduring Shame at Jiangzhou

卻què說shuō殷yīn小xiǎo姐jiě痛tòng恨hèn劉liú賊zéi，恨hèn不bù食shí肉ròu寢qǐn皮pí。只zhǐ因yīn身shēn懷huái有yǒu孕yùn，未wèi知zhī男nán女nǚ，萬wàn不bù得dé已yǐ，權quán且qiě勉miǎn強qiǎng相xiāng從cóng。轉zhuǎn盼pàn之zhī間jiān，不bù覺jué已yǐ到dào江jiāng州zhōu。吏lì書shū門mén皂zào，俱jù來lái迎yíng接jiē。所suǒ屬shǔ官guān員yuán，公gōng堂táng設shè宴yàn相xiāng敘xù。劉liú洪hóng道dào：「學xué生shēng到dào此cǐ，全quán賴lài諸zhū公gōng大dà力lì匡kuāng持chí。」屬shǔ官guān答dá道dào：「堂táng尊zūn大dà魁kuí高gāo才cái，自zì然rán視shì民mín如rú子zǐ，訟sòng簡jiǎn刑xíng清qīng。我wǒ等děng合hé屬shǔ有yǒu賴lài，何hé必bì過guò謙qiān？」公gōng宴yàn已yǐ罷bà，眾zhòng人rén各gè散sàn。却què说shuō殷yīn小xiǎo姐jiě痛tòng恨hèn刘liú贼zéi，恨hèn不bù食shí肉ròu寝qǐn皮pí。只zhǐ因yīn身shēn怀huái有yǒu孕yùn，未wèi知zhī男nán女nǚ，万wàn不bù得dé已yǐ，权quán且qiě勉miǎn强qiǎng相xiāng从cóng。转zhuǎn盼pàn之zhī间jiān，不bù觉jué已yǐ到dào江jiāng州zhōu。吏lì书shū门mén皂zào，俱jù来lái迎yíng接jiē。所suǒ属shǔ官guān员yuán，公gōng堂táng设shè宴yàn相xiāng叙xù。刘liú洪hóng道dào：「学xué生shēng到dào此cǐ，全quán赖lài诸zhū公gōng大dà力lì匡kuāng持chí。」属shǔ官guān答dá道dào：「堂táng尊zūn大dà魁kuí高gāo才cái，自zì然rán视shì民mín如rú子zǐ，讼sòng简jiǎn刑xíng清qīng。我wǒ等děng合hé属shǔ有yǒu赖lài，何hé必bì过guò谦qiān？」公gōng宴yàn已yǐ罢bà，众zhòng人rén各gè散sàn。

逐句解 Line by line

卻què說shuō殷yīn小xiǎo姐jiě痛tòng恨hèn劉liú賊zéi，恨hèn不bù食shí肉ròu寢qǐn皮pí。却què说shuō殷yīn小xiǎo姐jiě痛tòng恨hèn刘liú贼zéi，恨hèn不bù食shí肉ròu寝qǐn皮pí。

Now Yin Wenjiao bitterly hated the villain Liu, hating him enough 'to eat his flesh and sleep upon his skin.'

恨不食肉寢皮, lit. 'to grudge not eating his flesh and sleeping on his hide' — a set phrase for murderous hatred.

只zhǐ因yīn身shēn懷huái有yǒu孕yùn，未wèi知zhī男nán女nǚ，萬wàn不bù得dé已yǐ，權quán且qiě勉miǎn強qiǎng相xiāng從cóng。只zhǐ因yīn身shēn怀huái有yǒu孕yùn，未wèi知zhī男nán女nǚ，万wàn不bù得dé已yǐ，权quán且qiě勉miǎn强qiǎng相xiāng从cóng。

But because she was with child, not knowing whether it would be a boy or a girl, she had no recourse but to comply with him for the time, against her will.

勉強, against one's will — 強 here is qiǎng; 相從, to comply (reciprocal 相, xiāng). 萬不得已, utterly without recourse.

轉zhuǎn盼pàn之zhī間jiān，不bù覺jué已yǐ到dào江jiāng州zhōu。转zhuǎn盼pàn之zhī间jiān，不bù觉jué已yǐ到dào江jiāng州zhōu。

In the turn of an eye, before she knew it they had reached Jiangzhou.

轉盼之間, in the blink of an eye.

吏lì書shū門mén皂zào，俱jù來lái迎yíng接jiē。吏lì书shū门mén皂zào，俱jù来lái迎yíng接jiē。

Clerks, scribes, and yamen runners all came out to receive them,

門皂, the black-clad yamen runners (皂, zào, from their black uniforms).

所suǒ屬shǔ官guān員yuán，公gōng堂táng設shè宴yàn相xiāng敘xù。所suǒ属shǔ官guān员yuán，公gōng堂táng设shè宴yàn相xiāng叙xù。

and the officials of the district set out a banquet in the public hall to greet them.

相敘, to meet and converse — reciprocal 相.

劉liú洪hóng道dào：「學xué生shēng到dào此cǐ，全quán賴lài諸zhū公gōng大dà力lì匡kuāng持chí。」刘liú洪hóng道dào：「学xué生shēng到dào此cǐ，全quán赖lài诸zhū公gōng大dà力lì匡kuāng持chí。」

Liu Hong said, 'Now that I have come here, I rely wholly on you gentlemen's great support to sustain me.'

匡持, to uphold and support; 學生, a modest self-reference among officials.

屬shǔ官guān答dá道dào：「堂táng尊zūn大dà魁kuí高gāo才cái，自zì然rán視shì民mín如rú子zǐ，訟sòng簡jiǎn刑xíng清qīng。属shǔ官guān答dá道dào：「堂táng尊zūn大dà魁kuí高gāo才cái，自zì然rán视shì民mín如rú子zǐ，讼sòng简jiǎn刑xíng清qīng。

The subordinate officials answered, 'Your Honor, a man of the highest distinction and talent, will surely look on the people as his own children, keeping litigation simple and punishments clean.'

大魁, the top graduate; 視民如子, to regard the people as one's children — 子 in the full sense, zǐ; 訟簡刑清, sparse litigation and clean justice.

我wǒ等děng合hé屬shǔ有yǒu賴lài，何hé必bì過guò謙qiān？」我wǒ等děng合hé属shǔ有yǒu赖lài，何hé必bì过guò谦qiān？」

'We who serve under you all have something to rely on — why be so modest?'

合屬, all the subordinates together.

公gōng宴yàn已yǐ罷bà，眾zhòng人rén各gè散sàn。公gōng宴yàn已yǐ罢bà，众zhòng人rén各gè散sàn。

When the public banquet was over, the company dispersed.

各散, each went his way.

總評 Commentary

The widow's predicament is given its full bitterness: she hates Liu Hong enough 'to eat his flesh and sleep on his skin,' yet submits — 勉強相從 — solely to protect the unborn child, not yet knowing whether it is even a son. The scene's irony is sharp: the murderer is received at Jiangzhou with banquets and flattery, the subordinate officials praising the new 'governor' for the very Confucian virtues (視民如子, 訟簡刑清) he has usurped by killing the man who possessed them. The reader holds the truth the celebrants do not.